Combined timepiece and compass



Dec. 8, 1970 w. RICE, JR l 3,545,199

COMBINED TIMEPIECE AND COMPASS Filed May16, 1969 3,545,199 COMBINED TIMEPIECE AND COMPASS William Rice, Jr., Box D. Paintsville, Ky. 41240 Filed May 16, 1969, Ser. No. 825,329 Int. Cl. G04b 47/00 U.S. Cl. 58-152 3 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE The invention provides a timepiece, typically a wristwatch, which also serves as a solar compass and in which a compass pointer serves the additional function of indicating time on a 24-hour basis. Advantageously, the device includes both a l2-hour set of time indicia and a 24-hour set of time indicia, and employs a circular compass card driven at half the speed of the hour hand, the 24-hour set of time indicia being arranged on the dial in a location around the periphery of the compass card so that the north pointer of the compass card also cooperates with the 24-h0ur set of time indicia to indicate time on a 24-hour basis.

This invention relates to multipurpose timepieces and particularly to an improved timepiece which can be ernployed to indicate time on the usual 12-hour basis, to indicate direction by reference to the sun, and to indicate time on a 24-hour basis.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide a combined timepiece and compass in the nature of a conventional l2-hour watch, for example, equipped with an extra hand driven at one-half the speed of the hour hand, the extra hand indicating approximate north when the watch is held with the hour hand pointing toward the sun. However, though such multipurpose timepieces have long been known, they have yet to achieve significant commercial acceptance and. have not become generally available.

A general object of this invention is to provide a combined timepiece and compass which has the additional capability of indicating time on a 24-hour basis, i.e., military time.

Another object is to devise such a multipurpose timepiece which will have greater ability than prior art devices, will be easier to use, and which will be more attractive to the potential users of such devices.

Stated generally, devices according to the invention replace the additional compass pointer hand with a compass card or like indicator which occupies only a relatively small central portion of the face of the timepiece, and employ a second set of time indicia calibrated on a 24-hour basis and arranged annularly to extend immediately around the path of travel of the north indicator of the compass card or the like, so that the north indicator cooperates directly with the second set of time indicia to indicate time on a 24-hour basis.

In order that the manner in which the foregoing and other objects are attained according to the invention can be understood in detail, one particularly advantageous embodiment thereof 4will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form part of the original disclosure in this application, and wherein:

FIG. l is a front plan view of a combined wristwatch and compass according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the device taken United States Patent O ice.

generally on line 2 2, FIG. l, but with the hands of the watch rotated to new positions for clarity of illustration; and

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the device of FIG. l, with parts removed to disclose portions of the gearing for driving the hands and compass card.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIGS. 1-3 show one embodiment of the invention applied to a wristwatch having a conventional case 1 having an annular side wallv 2, a back plate 3 and a transparent crystal 4. A circular dial 5 is fixedly supported within the casing, as by being seated on an annular internal shoulder 6 on side wall 2, in such fashion that the face of the dial is exposed to view through crystal 4.

The space within case 1 between dial 5 and back plate 3 is divided into chambers A and B by a partition plate 7 secured in any suitable fashion to side wall 2. A conventional clockwork mechanism (not shown) is mounted in chamber A, and includes the usual main spring, balance wheel and escapement, and two drive shafts 8 and 9 which project through partition 7 into chamber B.

By gearing later explained, a central hollow spindle 10, FIG. 2, rotatably supported on a fixed post 11, is driven by shaft 8. An intermediate hollow spindle 12 rotatably embraces spindle 10, and an outer hollow spindle 13 rotatably embraces intermediate spindle 12. Dial 5 has a central aperture, and all three of the spindles 10, 12 and 13 project forwardly therethrough, terminating in front of the dial. Post 11 extends along the central axis of annular side wall 2, and the circular dial 5 is thus centered with respect to the three coaxial spindles 10, 12 and 13.

The usual minute hand 14 is fixed to the forward end of central spindle 10, and the hour hand 15 is fixed to the forward end of intermediate spindle 12. A circular cornpass card disc 16 is fixed to the forward end of outer spindle 13, the disc having a circular central opening through which spindle 12 passes freely, the disc 16 being centered on the common longitudinal axis of the spindles so that the circular periphery of the disc is concentric with the periphery of dial 5. The three spindles are of different lengths, with longer spindle 10 projecting forwardly farther than intermediate spindle 12, and with outer spindle 13 having its forward end nearest to dial 5. Accordingly, hands 14 and 15 and disc 16 lie respectively in spaced planes parallel to the dial and are therefore free to rotate each relative to the other two. Both hands 14, 15 and disc 16 are closely adjacent to the front face of dial 5, however, so that all three can cooperate effectively with indicia carried by the dial.

The end of spindle 10 nearest partition 7 is provided with an integrally formed gear 17 meshed with a gear 18 fixed to shaft 8. The corresponding ends of spindles 12 and 13 are provided with integrally formed gears 19 and 20, respectively, and these gears are respectively meshed with gears 21 and 22 fixed to shaft 9. Gears 20 and 22 are of the same diameter and have the same number of teeth, so that spindle 13 and disc 16 rotate at the same speed as shaft 9. Gear 21, however, is of twice the diameter of gear 19 and, accordingly, the spindle 12 and hour hand 15 are rotated at twice the speed of shaft 9. In order to cause the hour hand 15 to traverse the dial 5 once every twelve hours, shaft 9 is driven at the rate of one revolution every twenty-four hours. Hence since it is driven at the same speed as shaft 9 (and thus at one-half the speed of the hour hand) the disc 16 completes one revolution every twenty-four hours. In usual fashion, shaft 8 drives spindle 10 and minute hand 14 at the rate of one revolution every hour.

A first set of time indicia, FIG. l, comprising the usual hour designations 23 and minute marks 24, is provided in an annular series in the peripheral portion of dial 5, being calibrated on a 12-hour basis, that is, with the hour designations 23 delineating twelve equal divisions of the complete circle and identifying these divisions as for the hours from one to twelve. The hands 14 and 15 are of adequate length to cooperate with this first set of indicia for the clear reading of time on a 12-hour basis.

The disc 16 is of a radius distinctly smaller than the length of hour hand 15. The front face of the disc 16 bears a compass rosette including eight points Z5 which are of equal length and terminate short of the peripheral edge of the disc and one longer point 26 which extends to the peripheral edge of the disc, the longer point 26 constitut-ing the north indicator and being of a color distinctly different from that of the rest of the rosette. The appropriate initials for the various points of the compass are applied to the disc adjacent the respective points 25, 26 of the rosette, with north indicating letter N being larger than the others to further accentuate the point 26.

A second set of time indicia is applied to dial 5, as an annular series of numbers from 0100 through 2400 with corresponding equally spaced dividing marks, in the annular area of the face of dial 5 which closely surrounds the circular periphery of disc 16. The dividing marks, indicated at 27, serve to divide this annular space into twenty-four equal divisions, each representing one hour, so that this second set of indicia can be considered as 0n a 24-hour basis. The dividing marks 27 are immediately adjacent to the periphery of disc 16 and, accordingly, the longer point 26 of the compass rosette cooperates clearly with the second set of time indicia.

At any time, the timepiece serves to indicate the time of day on a l2-hour basis, through cooperation of hands 14, 15 andthe first set of time indicia, and also to indicate the time of day on a 2.4hour basis, through cooperation of the pointer 26 of disc 16 with the second set of time indicia. During daylight hours in the northern hemisphere, approximate compass headings can be determined with suficient accuracy for most purposes by positioning the device so that hour hand 15 points to the sun and,

with the device held in that position, observing point 26 as indicating north, other directions being observable from the respective points of the rosette presented -by disc 16.

Compass card disc 16, with its rosette including the easily distinguished north-indicating point 26, serves as one particularly advantageous indicating means serving the dual purpose of indicating direction and cooperating with the second set of time indicia for reading time on a 24-hour basis, allows all elements observed for compass use and for 24-hour time base use to be concentrated in the central portion of the dial, spaced well inwardly from the outer y12-hour set of time indicia.

What is claimed is: 1. A combined timepiece and compass comprising: a fixed dial; clockwise means including iirst, second, and third coaxial spindles, said first spindle being driven at the rate of one revolution in 12 hours, said second spindle being driven at the rate of one revolution each hour, and said third spindle being driven at the rate of one revolution in 24 hours; case means housing said clockwork means and supporting said dial with one face thereof exposed for view,

said dial bearing iirst and second annular sets of time indicia, said annular sets of time indicia being mutually concentric and concentric with the common axis of said spindles, said second set of time indicia being spaced inwardly from said iirst set,

said first set of time indicia including 12 equally spaced divisions for the reading of time on a 12hour basis, and said second set of time indicia including 24 equally spaced divisions for the reading of time on a 24hour basis, said first and second sets of time indicia being correlated so that the zero points of both sets of indicia lie on the same radius; an hour hand fixed to said first spindle; a minute hand lixed to said second spindle,

said hour hand and said minute hand being disposed to cooperate with said first set of time indicia to indicate time on a 12-hour basis; and a compass card fixed to said third spindle and disposed between said dial and said hands,

said second set of time indicia closely surrounding said compass card, said compass card including a combined north-andtime pointer which, at any point in time during operation of the combined timepiece and compass over a 12hour period, will have progressed in rotation only one-half the angular distance traversed by said hour hand, said pointer cooperating with said second set of time indicia to indicate time on a 24-hour basis and also serving to indicate approximate north when said hour hand is pointed at the sun. 2. A combined timepiece and compass according to claim 1, wherein:

said compass card has a circular periphery and includes indicia in addition to said pointer for indicating the remaining cardinal points of the compass, said pointer being distinctively different in appearance from said additional indicia in order to aid in use of said pointer in cooperation with said second set of time indicia. 3. A combined timepiece and compass comprising: a fixed dial; clockwork means including first, second, and third coaxial spindles, said rst spindle being driven at the rate of one revolution in 12` hours, said second spindle being driven at the rate of one revolution each hour, and said third spindle being driven at the rate of one revolution in 24 hours; case means housing said clockwork means and supporting said dial with one face thereof exposed for view, said dial bearing rst and second annular sets of time indicia, said annularasets of time indicia being mutually concentric and concentric With the common axis of said spindles, said second set of time indicia being spaced inwardly from said first set, said first set of time indicia including l2 equally spaced divisions for the reading of time on a l2-hour basis, and said second set of time indicia including 24 equally spaced divisions for the reading of time on a 24-hour basis, said rst and second sets of time indicia being correlated so that the zero points of both sets of indicia lie on the same radius; an hour hand fixed to said first spindle; a minute hand fixed to said second spindle,

said hour hand and said minute hand being disposed to cooperate with said first set of time indicia to indicate time on a l2-hour basis; and dual function indicating means comprising a compass card fixed to said third spindle and located within the space surrounded by said second set of time indicia, said dual function indicating means including a pointer which, at any point in time during operation of the combined timepiece and compass over a 12-hour period will have progressed in rotation through only one-half the angular distance traversed by said hour hand, said pointer cooperating with said second set of time dincia to indicate time on a 24-hour basis and also serving to indicate approximate north when said hour hand RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner is pointed at the sun' E. C. SIMMONS, Assistant Examiner References Cited Uns C1' X'F UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,128,970 9/1938 Smyser et al. 58-3 2,857,734 10/1958 Weigenant 58-126 'Zggg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3 545 199 Dated December 8 1970 Inventor(s) William Rice, Jr.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 3, line 62, "clockwise" should read c1ockwork.

Column 4, line 74, "dincia" should read -indicia.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of April 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK .lttestnfgr Officer Commissioner of Patents 

